Brittany Force, Tim Wilkerson Lead Winners at zMAX

Brittany Force - Top Fuel champion 

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(CONCORD, NC – APRIL 24, 2016 – RIS) The seventh annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals presented by Lowes Foods had dramatic results under brilliant Carolina blue skies Sunday. Hosted by zMAX Dragway, the weekend got underway with only one Friday round of qualifying after rain started falling late in the day. The rain gave way to near perfect weather for the rest of the weekend and a sellout crowd saw Saturday's two Pro qualifying rounds, plus the start of Sportsman eliminations.

Brittany Force set more than one record in winning Top Fuel at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals presented by Lowe's Foods today: she became the first female to win a four-wide race in NHRA. Working her way up through the eliminations, she paired up against Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta and Clay Millican. Pole winner Steve Torrence set a blistering 3.744 sec/326.71 pass in Sunday's first round of four as the top five in the 10,000 hp dragsters leading to Sunday's races. Torrence, along with Tony Schumacher, advanced to the second round as quickest in their 'quad' to be joined by Doug Kalitta and Clay Millican from their quad. The other first round winners were J.R. Todd, Richie Crampton, Antron Brown and eventual champion Brittany Force.

The second round of racing saw Torrence and Schumacher both smoke their tires off the line, allowing Kalitta and Millican to advance, joined by Force and Brown from their round two quad. In the finals, Force used a best reaction time of the round at 0.042 sec and a best ET of the round of 3.764, plus top speed of the round, 319.98 to earn her second Wally of the season as Top Fuel champion. Runnerup Antron Brown had a 3.779/316.75 pass while both Kalitta and Millican had much slower runs.

Funny Car top qualifier Alexis DeJoria had problems in the first round of Sunday's races, dropping her out, along with Robert Hight from their quad and sending Jeff Diehl and Tim Wilkerson on to the second round. Number two qualifier Matt Hagan and tenth qualifier Ron Capps advanced to the second round from their quad, joined by John Force and Tommy Johnson Jr from theirs. Courtney Force and Cruz Pedregon advanced from one of the best four-wide races of the day. Force was just two thousandths ahead of Del Worsham in ET, but Pedregon beat Worsham to the finish line thanks to a quicker reaction time of .061 to Worsham's .096, allowing Pedregon's 4.003 ET to beat out Worsham's 3.981. The pair of Force and Pedregon advanced, leaving John Hale and Worsham in the pits for the rest of the day.

The second round saw Wilkerson, and Pedregon advance, joined by Matt Hagan and Ron Capps as Tommy Johnson slowed and John Force's 4.063 was bettered by Capps' 4.045 pass. In the final round, Wilkerson and Hagan had identical reaction times of .064, while Wilkerson's 3.967/315.56 bettered Pedregon's 3.995/313.37. Third went to Ron Capps' 4.055/315.42 and Hagan clocked a 4.069/305.56 in one of the tightest foursomes of the weekend.

Jason Line won Pro Stock in an all-Camaro finals at 6.565/211.33, beating out Bo Butner's 6.591/210.77. Butner's reaction time of .025 was five thousandths quicker than Lines. The other two in the final, Drew Skillman and Chris McGaha, were close behind with McGaha's ET of  6.646 making a gap of only .081 second from first to fourth.

Pro Stock Motorcycle was captured by Andrew Hines after Matt Smith had clutch woes in the finals, causing him to shut off and coast to a 12.878 pass while Hines' 6.844/195.42 run beat out fast qualifier Eddie Krawiec's 6.849and Chip Ellis' 6.884 in the finals.

Final results from the Seventh annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals presented by Lowes Foods at zMax Dragway:

Top Fuel -- Brittany Force, 3.764 seconds, 319.98 mph def. Antron Brown, 3.779 seconds, 316.75 mph and Doug Kalitta, 4.792 seconds, 161.34 mph and Clay Millican, 6.616 seconds, 90.24 mph;

Funny Car -- Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 3.967, 315.56 def. Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Camry, 3.995, 313.37 and Ron Capps, Dodge Charger, 4.055, 315.42 and Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.069, 305.56;

Pro Stock -- Jason Line, Chevy Camaro, 6.565, 211.33 def. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.591, 210.77 and Drew Skillman, Camaro, 6.620, 209.43 and Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.646, 208.68;

Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.844, 195.42 def. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.849, 194.44 and Chip Ellis, Buell, 6.884, 193.90 and Matt Smith, Victory, 12.878, 60.42;

Top Alcohol Dragster -- Megan Meyer, 5.325, 278.46  def. Josh Hart, 5.634, 238.72.

Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Kris Hool, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.557, 261.83  def. Jonnie Lindberg, Monte Carlo, 10.179, 84.19.

Competition Eliminator -- David Rampy, Bantam, 7.283, 159.29  def. Randy Daniels, Grand Am, 8.655, 158.07.

Super Stock -- Bryan Worner, Chevy Camaro, 10.223, 127.93  def. Herbie Null Jr., Camaro, 9.886, 131.99.

Stock Eliminator -- Jeff Harrington, Ford Mustang, 10.129, 129.21  def. Michael Brand, Pontiac Firebird, 11.112, 110.97.

Super Comp -- Ray Miller, Dragster, 8.949, 176.58  def. Danny Waters Jr., Dragster, 8.901, 174.55.

Super Gas -- Jim Perry, Chevy S-10, 9.907, 169.25  def. Mia Tedesco, Chevy Cavalier, 9.908, 164.55.

Top Sportsman -- Mark Payne, Chevy Cavalier, 6.846, 203.03  def. Michael Kaufman, Chevy Corvette, Foul - Red Light.

Round-by-round results from the Seventh annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals presented by Lowes Foods at zMax Dragway, the fifth of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel: Round One -- Clay Millican, 3.756, 326.40 and Doug Kalitta, 3.755, 326.56 def. Smax Smith, 4.197, 276.07 and Scott Palmer, broke; Brittany Force, 3.734, 321.88 and Antron Brown, 3.776, 321.58 def. Pat Dakin, 3.825, 310.55 and Leah Pritchett, 3.853, 316.90; J.R. Todd, 3.736, 328.06 and Richie Crampton, 3.739, 322.50 def. Terry McMillen, 3.816, 316.52 and Chris Karamesines, 4.074, 297.02; Steve Torrence, 3.744, 326.71 and Tony Schumacher, 3.796, 310.91 def. Shawn Langdon, 5.062, 150.43 and Terry Haddock, broke;
Semifinals -- Kalitta, 3.777, 325.92 and Millican, 3.787, 322.04 def. Torrence, 6.964, 96.29 and Schumacher, 9.205, 76.48; Force, 3.747, 321.88 and Brown, 5.779, 210.67 def. Crampton, 6.301, 189.31 and Todd, 9.531, 81.70;
Final -- Force, 3.764, 319.98 def. Brown, 3.779, 316.75, Kalitta, 4.792, 161.34 and Millican, 6.616, 90.24.

Funny Car: Round One -- Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.938, 320.13 and Ron Capps, Charger, 4.795, 202.70 def. Chad Head, Toyota Camry, 8.331, 85.68 and Daniel Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, broke; John Force, Chevy Camaro, 4.053, 316.23 and Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 5.495, 255.48 def. Jack Beckman, Charger, 5.639, 292.08 and Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 10.466, 79.19; Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.934, 322.34 and Jeff Diehl, Toyota Solara, 5.359, 210.47 def. Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 6.874, 127.86 and Robert Hight, Camaro, 10.742, 81.50; Courtney Force, Camaro, 3.979, 320.97 and Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 4.003, 309.91 def. Del Worsham, Camry, 3.981, 317.49 and John Hale, Charger, 4.031, 314.83;
Semifinals -- Hagan, 3.997, 317.64 and Capps, 4.045, 312.13 def. J. Force, 4.063, 315.05 and Johnson Jr., 8.148, 88.58; T. Wilkerson, 3.993, 319.82 and Pedregon, 4.367, 208.30 def. C. Force, 12.413, 64.50 and Diehl, broke;
Final -- T. Wilkerson, 3.967, 315.56 def. Pedregon, 3.995, 313.37, Capps, 4.055, 315.42 and Hagan, 4.069, 305.56.

Pro Stock: Round One -- Bo Butner, Chevy Camaro, 6.570, 211.33 and Deric Kramer, Dodge Dart, 6.653, 208.01 def. Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.635, 210.01 and Jeg Coughlin, Dart, 6.873, 171.86; Jason Line, Camaro, 6.555, 211.86 and Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.609, 209.72 def. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.647, 210.05 and V. Gaines, Dart, 7.223, 205.44; Drew Skillman, Camaro, 6.586, 210.57 and Erica Enders, Dart, 6.630, 209.98 def. Alex Laughlin, Camaro, 6.666, 208.68 and John Gaydosh Jr, Chevrolet Camaro, 6.698, 205.88; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.562, 211.99 and Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.615, 209.36 def. Allen Johnson, Dart, 6.642, 207.69 and Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.852, 199.40;
Semifinals -- McGaha, 6.734, 208.04 and Butner, 6.628, 210.47 def. Anderson, 7.536, 164.17 and Kramer, broke; Line, 6.568, 211.16 and Skillman, 6.617, 208.91 def. Delco, 6.663, 207.98 and Enders, 11.597, 77.55;
Final -- Line, 6.565, 211.33 def. Butner, 6.591, 210.77, Skillman, 6.620, 209.43 and McGaha, 6.646, 208.68.

Pro Stock Motorcycle: Round One -- Jerry Savoie, Suzuki TL1000, 6.855, 196.62 and Andrew Hines, Harley V-Rod, 6.817, 195.68 def. Brian Pretzel, Suzuki GSXR, 6.928, 194.58 and Jim Underdahl, GSXR, 6.967, 196.90; Hector Arana, Buell XB9R, 6.836, 196.56 and Angelle Sampey, Buell XB12R, 6.861, 193.96 def. Shawn Gann, XB9R, 6.906, 193.05 and Karen Stoffer, Suzuki TL1000R, 6.954, 194.63; Matt Smith, Victory Gunner, 6.844, 195.03 and Chip Ellis, XB9R, 6.816, 195.48 def. Scotty Pollacheck, XB12R, 6.898, 192.38 and Steve Johnson, TL1000, 6.929, 192.99; Eddie Krawiec, V-Rod, 6.825, 195.08 and Michael Ray, XB9R, 6.903, 194.77 def. Melissa Surber, 6.928, 192.06 and LE Tonglet, GSXR, 6.876, 194.07;
Semifinals -- Krawiec, 6.810, 197.16 and Hines, 6.846, 195.11 def. Savoie, 6.916, 192.88 and Ray, 6.921, 194.72; M. Smith, 6.850, 195.00 and Ellis, 7.134, 153.35 def. Sampey, 6.831, 196.27 and Arana, 6.857, 196.96;
Final -- Hines, 6.844, 195.42 def. Krawiec, 6.849, 194.44, Ellis, 6.884, 193.90 and M. Smith, 12.878, 60.42.

Unofficial point standings

Top Fuel: 1.  Brittany Force, 428; 2.  Antron Brown, 365; 3.  Doug Kalitta, 344; 4.  Clay Millican, 318; 5.  Steve Torrence, 310; 6.  J.R. Todd, 289; 7.  (tie) Terry McMillen, 242; Tony Schumacher, 242; 9.  Richie Crampton, 240; 10.  Leah Pritchett, 220.

Funny Car: 1.  Robert Hight, 369; 2.  Ron Capps, 361; 3.  John Force, 352; 4.  Tim Wilkerson, 334; 5.  Courtney Force, 322; 6.  Del Worsham, 318; 7.  Jack Beckman, 307; 8.  Alexis DeJoria, 277; 9.  Chad Head, 270; 10.  Cruz Pedregon, 238.

Pro Stock: 1.  Jason Line, 583; 2.  Greg Anderson, 481; 3.  Bo Butner, 429; 4.  Drew Skillman, 343; 5.  Chris McGaha, 287; 6.  Allen Johnson, 244; 7.  (tie) Jeg Coughlin, 223; Erica Enders, 223; 9.  Vincent Nobile, 209; 10.  Alex Laughlin, 187.

Pro Stock Motorcycle: 1.  Eddie Krawiec, 232; 2.  Andrew Hines, 197; 3.  Hector Arana, 154; 4.  Chip Ellis, 135; 5.  Jerry Savoie, 108; 6.  LE Tonglet, 107; 7.  Michael Ray, 104; 8.  Matt Smith, 93; 9.  Angelle Sampey, 92; 10.  Jim Underdahl, 84.

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